Vacuum heating pump



I Jan. 15,1935. w. P. WHITTINGTON 1,983,027

VACUUM HEATING PUMP Filed Dec. 1, 1930 A TTORNEYS INVENTOR. g Willia m W/rilijngion, N BY 3 M #Fim Patented Jan. 15, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE v VACUUM: HEATING PUMIP William P.'Whittington, Indianapolis, .Ind., as-

signor to American Steam Pump Company, a corporation of Michigan Application December 1, 1930, Serial No. 499,201

11 Claims. (01. 103-6) My invention relates to improvements in apcirculating: tank 2 and delivers-the same through paratus'for handling the condensation of steam thezpipe 31 t-o'the conduit 6. A second pump. 32 andhot water heating radiators and for removreceives the waterfrom the boiler feed chamber ing-the 'condensation fromrthe radiators of the 3 and :clelivers thesame to theboiler.

*5 "heating system and returning the same to' the Thepump32 is of-the impellertype havingv an :5

L boj1e intake 33 at its center; connected with the :boiler 'One ofthe objects of my invention is toprovide feed. chamber by. the pipe :34. One difficulty with "an improved apparatus for creatingthe necesthis type-f pump is that wh'enair or vaporigets "sary vacuum on suchi heating. system as to cause into the impeller chamber the pump will cease "-10 the proper circulation'throu'gh the system. 'toiunction. By connecting thetop of'thepump'lo 'For'the purpose .ofdisclosin'g .myiinvention. I casing which encloses the suction chamber of have illustrated one embodiment'thereof'in'the the pump, through the-pipe connection35 with accompanying drawing,zinz-which: tthe accumulating chamber23 any air or vapor U "Fig.1 isa longitudinal sectiontofan apparatus in the "pump casing will be drawn, under'the embodying: my invention; .vacuumproducedin the accumulating chamber, l5

' Fig. 2'is an end View thereof, and ziromtherpump'casing insuring the operation of Fig. 3 is 'a sectionalview on the line 33 of :the pump at all times. 1 "Fig,1 Arranged :within the boiler .feed :chamber 3 v In the embodiment il'lustrated,fI"provide a tank is a suitable float 36 adapted to control anelec- "Or'OOntainer IWhichis dividedvinto 'a waterqcirtrio switch :37. for-the purpose of shuttingofi: the '20 culating section'i2'and a boiler feed chamber 3 current-through'the motorfor the pu1np32 when by a transversely extending wall "*4 extending the level :of. the waterin'the boiler feed chamber from the bottom of the tank to a point nearithe falls below a predetermined point and turning "top. '-Mounted uponithettopofthis'tankis'a dome the. current-on through. thiszmotor whenthe level 5 provided witha con'duitidformed by aninner of the. water in the chamber rises above a prede- 25 'wall"? and' the outer walltof theldomeiandascontermined level. duit'Siormed by an inner wall Q'and'theouter A second switch38 controlled by a-diaphragm 'wailliof-the dome. These conduits .merge into.-a pressure memberBQcontrols the circuit through "pressure chamber 10 .atthe "top of the dome,'. the motor of the pump and this diaphragm '30 whichdeliversthrough'a pair of throats ll'pref- -mot0r0i the switch38 is connected to the surge '30 'erably conical in shapeand extending downwardchamber. 22. Tly'from thewall 12. This wall forms the top of a In operation, the circulating chamber2 is parcenter column 13, formed by the walls'l4 and tially filled withwater. When the pump '30is the throats 11 discharge into vacuum producing started it forces .the circulating water underprestubes "15 which are similar in construction and \sure' into thepressure chamber 10, which water "-35 each tube "next its upper end is provided with a returning through the nozzles 11 picks up theair Venturi throat 16. The 1 tubes are preferably at the port 40, the air andpwater continuing formed in sections,- each-section abruptly enlargthrough the tubes 15 to the reversing pot where *ing as atd'l and 18 and these tubes deliver into the air is ,directed to the surface and vented 40 a reversing pot, one side of which isformed by through the vent port 41 in the tube .13-while the #40 "the-wall l' and the otherside of which is formed circulating water returns to the circulating by the-wall 19, the'bottom of the pot being chamber 2. curved'as'at20and provided'withadividing wall The. air being drawn from the accumulating 21. "-The-dome-has' formed therein two chambers, chamberZB causes a reduction in the pressure in the-surge chamber 22 and the accumulating this chamber with a resultant flow ofair and 45 chamber 23. These chambers are connected by Water of .condensation'from-the heating return means of an inlet 'pipe. 24 with'the" heating systhrough the pipe 24 and the check valve 27. The tern, this pipecommunicating through the. ports .air rises through the accumulating chamber 23 to '25=and'26 with the two chambers respectively the port .40 :where it is exhausted through :the '-arid 'between "these 7 ports there is provided a tubes 15 and the water of condensation accumucheck valve 27. The accumulating chamber 23 lates in the chamber 23, during the firstheating communicates byv means of a pipei28 with the ..up operation, and overflows with the air through boiler-feed chamber 3g the lower'end of thispipe the tubes 15 to the chamber 2, mixing with the 'b'e'ing 'closed'byi aohe'ckvalve 29. A circulation circulating water. The excess water passes over pump -3o'receives the circulating -Water in the the :baflie.-wall 4 .to the boiler feed chamber 33* from whence it is delivered by the pump 32 to the boiler.

After the first heating up operation, such water as is drawn from the heating system accumulates in the bottom of the accumulating chamber 23 being held there due to the fact that as long as a vacuum is produced in the accumulating chamber the valve 29 will be held closed by atmospheric pressure.

When the circulation of the heating system is completed and the pressure reduced to the predetermined point, the automatic vacuum switch 38 opens the circuit through the motor of the pump 30 thereby stopping the pump and reducing the water pressure in the chamber 10 to zero. Under these circumstances the air flow through the vent 41 is reversed, flowing backward through the tube 13 and the chambers 2 and 3 through the duct 8, past the check valve 42 into the pressure chamber 10 and through the nozzles 11, reversing as it passes from these nozzles and flowing through the port 41 into the accumulating chamber 23 with a resultant increase of pressure in this chamber. The weight of the water in this chamber, with the pressure equalized on both sides of the valve 29, is then sufiicient to open the valve 29 and the accumulated condensation in the chamber 23 discharges into the boiler feed chamber 3.

With the pump stopped the valve 27 closes thereby shutting 01f communication between the chamber 23 and the chamber 22 and thus maintaining a vacuum in chamber 22. This chamber being in direct communication with the heating system through the pipe 24 and the port 25 thus maintains the vacuum in the system during the time that the pump is idle and receives from the system the water of condensation which accumulates in the system.

It will be noted that the valve 42 opens toward the chamber 10 so that as long as circulating water is flowing through this chamber the valve will be maintained closed by the water in the pressure chamber. As a result so long as the vacuum producing pump is operated the accumulating chamber is sealed to atmospheric pressure. a

As there is considerable heat developed in the condensation chamber 23, I utilize this heat for the purpose of heating the water for the boiler. To this end, I provide a feed water heater 45 provided with a series of reverse pipes 44 which pass through the walls of the dome and into the chamber 23, returning and delivering to the discharge chamber 43 of the heater from whence the heated water may be taken to the boiler or wherever desired.

I claim the following:

1. In an apparatus for producing a vacuum in a steam heating system, the combination with an accumulating chamber adapted for connection with the return line of the heating system, a boiler feed chamber communicating therewith,

' means for creating a vacuum in said accumulating chamber and means for maintaining the connection between said chambers closed as long as a vacuum is maintained in said accumulating chamber.

2. In an apparatus for producing a vacuum in a steam heating system, the combination with a boiler feed chamber, of an accumulating chamber adapted for connection with the return line of the heating system and connected to said boiler feed chamber and delivering the water from the heating system to said feed chamber, means for producing a vacuum in said accumulating chamber to create a vacuum on the return side of the heating system, said vacuum preventing the water in said accumulating chamber from being delivered to said feed chamber as long as it is maintained.

3. In an apparatus for producing a vacuum in a steam heating system, the combination with an accumulating chamber adapted for connection with the return line of the heating system, of a boiler feed chamber communicating therewith, means for creating a vacuum in said accumulating chamber, means for maintaining the communication between said chambers closed as long as a vacuum is maintained in said accumulating chamber and means for admitting atmospheric l5 pressure to the accumulating chamber when the vacuum producing means is stopped.

4. In an apparatus for producing a vacuum in a steam heating system, the combination with a boiler feed chamber, of an accumulating chamber adapted for connection with the return line of the heating system connected to said boiler feed chamber and delivering the water from the heating system to said boiler feed chamber, means for producing a vacuum in said accumulating cham-,' ber to create a vacuum on the return side of the heating system, said vacuum preventing the water in said accumulating system from being delivered to said chamber as long as it is maintained and means for admtting atmospheric pressure to the accumulating chamber when said vacuum producing means stops.

5. In an apparatus for producing a vacuum in a steam heating system, the combination with a boiler feed chamber, of an accumulating chamber adapted for connection with the return line of the heating system and connected with said boiler feed chamber, a circulating chamber, a liquid piston pump for creating a vacuum in said accumulating chamber and discharging in said circulating chamber and means for delivering the water from said circulating chamber to said pump.

6. In an apparatus for producing a vacuum in a steam heating system, the combination with a boiler feed chamber, of an accumulating chamber adapted for connection with the return line of the heating system and communicating with said boiler feed chamber, a circulating chamber, a liquid piston pump for creating a vacuum in said accumulating chamber and discharging into said circulating chamber, means for delivering the water from said circulating chamber to said pump and an air vent to said circulating chamber.

7. In an apparatus for producing a vacuum in a steam heating system, the combination with a boiler feed chamber, of an accumulating chamber connected with said boiler feed chamber, a liquid piston pump for creating a vacuum in said accumulating chamber, said vacuum preventing the discharge of water from said accumulating chamber to said boiler feed chamber as long as said means is operating, means for admitting atmospheric pressure to said accumulating chamber maintained closed by the water delivery to said liquid piston pump.

8. In an apparatus for producing a vacuum in a steam heating system, the combination with a boiler feed chamber, of an accumulating chamber adapted for connection with the return line of 10 the heating system, said chambers being in communication with one another, means for producing a vacuum in said accumulating chamber, said vacuum preventing the discharge of water from said chamber into the boiler feed chamber as long as it exists, a pump of the impeller type for removing the water from the boiler feed chamber and delivering the same to the boiler and a communication extending from the casing of said pump to said accumulating chamber.

9. In an apparatus for producing a vacuum in a steam heating system, the combination with a boiler feed chamber, of an accumulating chamber adapted for connection with the return line of the heating system and connected with said boiler feed chamber, a liquid piston pump for creating a vacuum in said accumulating chamber including a discharge nozzle and a piston tube having an air inlet at its upper end communicating with said accumulating chamber, a pressure chamber above said discharge nozzle, an air vent into said pressure chamber and means for maintaining said vent closed by the pressure of water in said pressure chamber.

10. In an apparatus for producing vacuum in a steam heating system, the combination with a boiler feed chamber, of means for producing a vacuum in the heating system and causing the Water of condensation to be delivered to said boiler feed chamber, a pump of the impeller type for removing the water from the boiler feed chamber and delivering the same to the boiler, means connecting the suction chamber of the casing of said pump with said vacuum producing means, said pump having an intake at atmospheric pressure.

11. The combination with a suction pump of the impeller type having an intake at atmospheric pressure, of a vacuum-producing means and means for connecting the suction chamber of the pump with said vacuum-producing means to remove during the operation of said pump any gas which may be entrapped in said pump, said connecting means being liquid sealed against gaseous backflcw.

WILLIAM P. WHITTINGTON. 

